​Reader’s Workshop: The rigor in reading has begun. We are learning to use the meaning of the story, letter sounds and the structure of the sentence to solve unknown words. Once readers are using these skills, they will need to read MANY EASY or FAMILIAR books to learn to use these skills automatically. Once kids can solve words to the point where decoding seems seamless we will increase the challenges in the words and text structures. These word solving skills need to be practiced everyday and in easy books to truly internalize the skill of decoding. Only when these skills are internalized can the reader focus on the comprehension while reading. Be patient with your reader. Rushing reading growth creates frustrated readers and readers who become word callers, not readers who read for meaning. Some of the students in our class are just beginning this journey and some are well into fluent decoding. Reading development can't be rushed or compared to other readers. It's an individual process and very personal to the reader. The workshop framework allows me to meet the various needs of the readers at multiple levels.

I choose students to target student during a focus/group lesson.

Individual conference during the independent reading portion of the workshop.

Small group instruction.

Or, any combination of the above.

Read to your child regularly and please help your first grader get the book and folder back in the book bag for the next day.

Writer’s Workshop:Writers have heroes and mentors. These mentors and heroes show us writing strategies, craft and structures for our writing. We are learning to read as writers, looking for ideas and support to grow as writers.​Building an understanding of authors craft enables writers to write with intention and purpose. Using craft also ensures the audience reads the writing as the author intended.Many writers are beginning to dabble in crafting their own writing!As parents you can support your writers by talking about the crafting techniques they see in the books they read. Maybe it's the LARGE BOLD PRINT for yelling or italic letters that tell us to read quiet. Or the onomatopoeias used to tell us a dog is barking or the car zoomed by. Whatever the craft is it's there for a reason. Talk to your reader/writer about how this craft helps the story and your giving them ideas! You can read more about the growth of the writers here.

Math:We have discovered moving across, up or down on the hundreds chart is always ten more.We counted our Walk-a-Thon laps and as a class we walked 309 laps!​Counting efficiently has been our focus.We have noticed:

Moving objects counted helps us be more accurate.

Marking items counted helps us be more accurate.

When counting a large group of objects it's helpful to count in groups of ten.

Counting too fast is not accurate.

Guessing is not accurate.

Social Studies:We have completed our dream statements and they are hanging proudly in our room. We refer to them daily. When we have an opportunity to make a students dream come to fruition, we do. For example, Mason W. has a dream that we are a classroom that takes care of people outside of our classroom and inside. (the son of a healthcare professional, can you tell?) As we are learning about the meaning of Veterans Day, being a Veteran, and showing respect to our Veterans we are realizing Mason's dream. As we fill the tub with donations for our Veterans, we are realizing Mason's dream and learning to be compassionate.

Help us realize Mason's dream and support our veterans!

#1 BRING IN ITEMS for care packages that will be sent to men and women all over the WORLD!It’s easy! Just bring in items and place it in the Blue collection container by your classroom door. A Synergy member will pick up from your classroom daily and keep a count of items. A running total will be kept on the Synergy Bulletin Board. Each item will count towards your class total. On November 11th, the class with the most points will get a COOL award! WE NEED TO WIN THIS!!!We are collecting Care Package items like:Travel size- shampoo, lotion, hand sanitizer, individual tooth brushes, small toothpaste, Q-tips, cotton ball, deodorant, decks of cards, boot cut sock, hand/foot warmers, water bottle flavoring, pop tarts, individual cereal boxes, ziploc bags all sizes, and many more.Go towww.hilliardvetparade.com and click on “HELP FILL A TRUCK” tab for a full list of items to collect.#2 HELP US COVER THE BULLETIN BOARD WITH VETERAN PICTURES!Bring in “COPIES” of Veteran pictures from your family or friends. Make sure it includes their name, branch and years in the service. Place pictures in the container by the bulletin board by the gym.#3 WE NEED LETTERS!- WE ARE DOING THIS ONE IN CLASS, but letters from home are welcome too! Write letters to a Veteran. They can be as simple as “Thank You” or include questions. If you ask questions in your letter make sure you place your first name, teacher’s name and Darby Creek Elementary on it so the Veteran will have a place to send a response to if they desire. Our SYNERGY CLUB GOAL is to have at least one letter per student at Darby Creek by November 10th. Letters will be distributed to Veterans at Darby Creek and at the Veterans Day Parade in Hilliard on 11/11/16 at 7:00pm. Place all letters in the container by the bulletin board by the gym.#4 VETERANS DAY PARADE- I will be there! Lets try to meet to in front of the Dairy Queen and show our support as a class! Come to the parade. It is on Friday November 11th at 7:00 pm in Hilliard. It starts at the Fairgrounds, goes through Old Hilliard and ends up at the park by the West pool. The Veterans would appreciate our support! If you go to the parade, you will see us collecting more items for care packages from other people in the community.MORE PARADE INFO CAN BE FOUND AT www.hilliardvetparade.com.

​Reader’s Workshop: The rigor in reading has begun. We are learning to use the meaning of the story, letter sounds and the structure of the sentence to solve unknown words. Once readers are using these skills, they will need to read MANY EASY or FAMILIAR books to learn to use these skills automatically. Once kids can solve words to the point where decoding seems seamless we will increase the challenges in the words and text structures. These word solving skills need to be practiced everyday and in easy books to truly internalize the skill of decoding. Only when these skills are internalized can the reader focus on the comprehension while reading. Be patient with your reader. Rushing reading growth creates frustrated readers and readers who become word callers, not readers who read for meaning. Some of the students in our class are just beginning this journey and some are well into fluent decoding. Reading development can't be rushed or compared to other readers. It's an individual process and very personal to the reader. The workshop framework allows me to meet the various needs of the readers at multiple levels.

I choose students to target student during a focus/group lesson.

Individual conference during the independent reading portion of the workshop.

Small group instruction.

Or, any combination of the above.

Read to your child regularly and please help your first grader get the book and folder back in the book bag for the next day.

Writer’s Workshop:Writers have heroes and mentors. These mentors and heroes show us writing strategies, craft and structures for our writing. We are learning to read as writers, looking for ideas and support to grow as writers.​Building an understanding of authors craft enables writers to write with intention and purpose. Using craft also ensures the audience reads the writing as the author intended.Many writers are beginning to dabble in crafting their own writing!As parents you can support your writers by talking about the crafting techniques they see in the books they read. Maybe it's the LARGE BOLD PRINT for yelling or italic letters that tell us to read quiet. Or the onomatopoeias used to tell us a dog is barking or the car zoomed by. Whatever the craft is it's there for a reason. Talk to your reader/writer about how this craft helps the story and your giving them ideas! You can read more about the growth of the writers here.

Math:We have discovered moving across, up or down on the hundreds chart is always ten more.We counted our Walk-a-Thon laps and as a class we walked 309 laps!​Counting efficiently has been our focus.We have noticed:

Moving objects counted helps us be more accurate.

Marking items counted helps us be more accurate.

When counting a large group of objects it's helpful to count in groups of ten.

Counting too fast is not accurate.

Guessing is not accurate.

Social Studies:We have completed our dream statements and they are hanging proudly in our room. We refer to them daily. When we have an opportunity to make a students dream come to fruition, we do. For example, Mason W. has a dream that we are a classroom that takes care of people outside of our classroom and inside. (the son of a healthcare professional, can you tell?) As we are learning about the meaning of Veterans Day, being a Veteran, and showing respect to our Veterans we are realizing Mason's dream. As we fill the tub with donations for our Veterans, we are realizing Mason's dream and learning to be compassionate.

Help us realize Mason's dream and support our veterans!

#1 BRING IN ITEMS for care packages that will be sent to men and women all over the WORLD!It’s easy! Just bring in items and place it in the Blue collection container by your classroom door. A Synergy member will pick up from your classroom daily and keep a count of items. A running total will be kept on the Synergy Bulletin Board. Each item will count towards your class total. On November 11th, the class with the most points will get a COOL award! WE NEED TO WIN THIS!!!We are collecting Care Package items like:Travel size- shampoo, lotion, hand sanitizer, individual tooth brushes, small toothpaste, Q-tips, cotton ball, deodorant, decks of cards, boot cut sock, hand/foot warmers, water bottle flavoring, pop tarts, individual cereal boxes, ziploc bags all sizes, and many more.Go towww.hilliardvetparade.com and click on “HELP FILL A TRUCK” tab for a full list of items to collect.#2 HELP US COVER THE BULLETIN BOARD WITH VETERAN PICTURES!Bring in “COPIES” of Veteran pictures from your family or friends. Make sure it includes their name, branch and years in the service. Place pictures in the container by the bulletin board by the gym.#3 WE NEED LETTERS!- WE ARE DOING THIS ONE IN CLASS, but letters from home are welcome too! Write letters to a Veteran. They can be as simple as “Thank You” or include questions. If you ask questions in your letter make sure you place your first name, teacher’s name and Darby Creek Elementary on it so the Veteran will have a place to send a response to if they desire. Our SYNERGY CLUB GOAL is to have at least one letter per student at Darby Creek by November 10th. Letters will be distributed to Veterans at Darby Creek and at the Veterans Day Parade in Hilliard on 11/11/16 at 7:00pm. Place all letters in the container by the bulletin board by the gym.#4 VETERANS DAY PARADE- I will be there! Lets try to meet to in front of the Dairy Queen and show our support as a class! Come to the parade. It is on Friday November 11th at 7:00 pm in Hilliard. It starts at the Fairgrounds, goes through Old Hilliard and ends up at the park by the West pool. The Veterans would appreciate our support! If you go to the parade, you will see us collecting more items for care packages from other people in the community.MORE PARADE INFO CAN BE FOUND AT www.hilliardvetparade.com.